The Dallas Mavericks have announced the winner of their Black History Month Art Contest.
Isabela Torres, a 10th grader from W.H. Adamson High School in Dallas, was awarded first prize for her depiction of famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
“She’s a very strong and independent woman and was so much of an inspiration for so many people. She should also get more recognition than she usually does,” Torres said.
To honor Black history and inspire future change-makers, the Dallas Mavericks encouraged 8th-12th grade students to create a visual medium that interprets the beliefs of past and present black leaders and how they inspired others to unite and join hands for justice.
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Several students entered and five of them were named finalists.
“I wanted to capture that she gave so much hope to slaves. That’s why I put on there the yellow flowers that mean hope and the lantern that meant she was the light,” Torres said.
The winning submission will be displayed at the American Airlines Center during a game in March, with halftime recognition and a suite for the game. Torres also won two American Airlines tickets to a city rich in Black history. The trip was made complete with a hotel and a travel gift card.
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“I was just so shocked. When I got the Gmail, I was telling everybody,” Torres said.
Torres created her piece through a computer program that allows her to make art digitally. She said she isn’t sure what college she wants to go to yet, but she knows that she wants to pursue a career in medicine. She said she certainly will continue pursuing her art on the side.
